Safety leaders



Sept. 24, 1963 J G RAH L] N G SAFETY LEADERS Filed July 31, 1961INVENTOR JOSEPH/NE 6124mm BY I Hm amd W ATTORNEYS,

United States Patent M 3,104,659 SAFETY LEADERS Josephine Grahling, 3562$9M Center Road, Cleveland 24, Ohio Filed July 31, 1961, Ser. No.128,027 14 claims. Cl. 119-96) This invention relates to safety devicesor leashes by means of which older persons generally indicated as adultsare able to maintain control over children as while walking or shopping.Various types of restraining devices have been devised for controllingand limiting the travel of children in relation to supervising adults.Essentially such devices comprise a cord, strap or chain one end ofwhich is connected to the child as by a band or harness and the otherend of which is held by or fastened to the person of the adult.Reference is made to my copending application for United States patentSerial No. 748,266, filed July 14, 1958, for Safety Leader, now Patent2,994,300, dated August 1, 1961, of which the present application is animprovement.

:In accordance with one aspect of the present invention and as aprincipal objective the connecting or leash element is provided in theform of a suitable leader, preferably a resilient member which isconnected to the child in such a way as to discourage disconnection bythe child. a

More specifically it is sought to provide a wrist or other band forattachment about the person of the child, the band having a locking typebuckle with an eye in its tongue which prevents the buckle from beingopened or disengaged when a locking element such as a snap hook orspring loaded snap ring is inserted in the said eye.

Supplementing the snap locking connection and as a further objective,there is provided, in combination with the snap connection arrangement,a relatively short flexible element or chain connected to a ring fast tothe band. Such supplemental connecting chain, in combination with thesnap connection arrangement provides for alternative close coupledrestraining connections between adult and child.

A further object is to provide a control device of the charactermentioned which can be quickly converted be tween a long leashconnection and a close coupled connection.

A still further object is to provide a safety leash for children whichallows a relatively wide latitute of movement of the child away from theadult without danger of the leash becoming tangled or tripping the adultor the child when the two persons are close together; more particularlyto provide a device of the character referred to which includes aresilient leader or leash element to progressively increase therestraining force exerted by a sudden pull without producing anundesirable jerk or shock to the child or to the restraining hand of theadult and which will return to its normal length when the tension hasceased, thereby allowing maximum freedom of any movement for both thechild and its supervisor.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingdetailed description of preferred embodiments representing the bestknown mode of practicing the invention. This description is made inconnection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of the SPBClfi?cation.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the safety leash device partly in section,showing the bands adapted to be placed about the persons of the guardianor adult and the child, the flexible elastic leash element whichconnects the bands, the close coupling chain and the snap elementlocking connector;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view corresponding to a portion of FIG. 1 andenlarged relative thereto, showing a Patented Sept. 24, 1963modification of the childs strap, the fragmentary view illustrating theuse of a spring loaded snap ring as an alternate connector for the snaphook and also the use of a ball chain instead of the link chain, both asshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another fragmentary view corresponding to another portion ofFIG. 1 showing a modification of the guardian s strap in which theswivel connection has been eliminated and the flexible leash element isthreaded through the metal ring, brought back and clamped upon itself to[form a permanent loop by insertion in a sleeve which is then clampedfirmly together; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view corresponding to the right hand end portionof FIG. 1 showing a further modification of the guardians end of thedevice, inwhich the wrist strap and swivel have been eliminated and theflexible leash element is formed into a loop of suflicient size topermit the grasping by, or insertion through of a mature hand. Themethod employed in forming the end loop being the same as in themodification of FIG. 3. A ring for the short chain connection isprovided by the insertion of the leash element through the ring beforeforming the hand loop.

The device in its more complex form comprises a pair of flexible andsubstantially inextensible bands 1 and 2 connected by a flexible andelastic leash element 3. The first band 1 is designed for attachment tothe adult or guardian, as by encirclement of the wrist, and the secondband 2 is designed for attachment to the child or ward, also as byencirclement of the wrist. These bands are formed of flat strip leatheror plastic material. A conventional buckle 4 is provided to join theends of the adults band 1, the bucklehaving a cross bar received in areverse bend 7 formed at one end of the band and havinga tongue 5receivable in any one of a number of holes 6 formed at spaced intervalsin the band to permit adjustment of the band size. The reversely bentend 7 of the band also receives and retains a split ring 8 forattachment of one end of the leash element 3 as by a swivel assemblycomprising a socket ring 9 and a pin ring 10. The ring 9 has a radialaperture through which is rotatably received a radial pin integrallyformed on the pin ring 10, the pin being headed as at 11 inside the ring9 to hold the rings captive together. In assembly, one of the rings, asthe ring 9 is interlocked with the hand ring 8 by passing it through thesplit in the latter before the ring 8 is fastened between the runs ofthe flexible band loop 7. These runs are held together as by rivets orstitching, not shown, on both sides of the ring 8, the split of thelatter being located between the runs of the flexible band and thereforenot shown in the drawings. The leash 3 may thus turn relative to thering 8 and the band 1, the end of the leash element being passed throughthe rotatable swivel ring 10, bent back upon itself and secured as by acompression fitting 12 in the provision of an end loop or eye 15. i i

The childs band 2 is similar to the adults band 1, its size beingadjustable by means of a conventional buckle 17 having a tongue 18receivable through any one of a number of holes 19 formed at spacedintervals in the other end portion of the band. Loop 20in the end of theband for securing the buckle 17 and corresponding to the end bend orloop 7 in the wrist band 1 for the adult also and similarly receives andsecures a metal ring 21 which constitutes a principal point ofconnection between the leash element 3 and the childs band, as willappear. 1

The end loop in the wrist band 2 is suitably secured as by stitching orrivets, one such rivet being shown at 28.

The leash element 6 is of a flexible cord-like design incorporating anextendable elastic cord of rubber, or

material of like characteristics and properties, having suitable tensilestrength for the desired usage and enclosed in a sheath, preferably of awoven water resistant fabric, said sheath being stretchable in a mannerto conform to the extension and retraction of the core and also by theuse of color and pattern to provide an attractive appearance to theinvention.

The leash element 3 may to advantage comprise a rubber tube having, ifdesired, a woven fabric sheath which not only protects the rubber butalso permits the use of attractive colors and designs in decoration ofthe leash. In order to provide effective restraint of a child of normalweight and of an age from about two to about five yea-rs, the leash,without being strained to its elastic limit, yields to the stressessucha child normally imposes thereon in its efforts to assert itsindependence. For example, in contemplated use to restrain such a childthe leash 3 is of such resiliency and strength as to exert a contractingforce of from about two pounds to about four pounds, preferably of theorder of about three pounds, when stretched to twice its unstressedlength.

The leash element 3 is attached to the childs band or strap 2 in asimilar manner as used at strap 1, by means of leash attaching splitring corresponding to the ring 8 of the guardian adults band 1, a swivelassembly comprising socket and pin rings 24, 25 correspondingrespectively to the socket and the pin rings 9, 10, pre viouslydescribed, and loop 26 and compression fitting 27 correspondingrespectively to the loop 15 and the compression fitting 12, previouslydescribed.

A supplemental or secondary connection between the leash element 3 andthe childs band 2 at the childs end of the leash is provided by arelatively short flexible chain or similar tensile element 33. Thiselement is connected at one end to the metal ring 21 and at its otherend to the eye 22 of the buckle tongue 18 as by snap hook 23 havingspring lock 29. Swivel 36 is interposed between the snap hook 23 and thecorresponding end of the chain 33 to prevent twisting and kinking of thechain when connected to the ring 8 of the adults band in achieving aclose-coupled connection. In normal use the snap hook 23 is insertedthrough the eye 22 in the locking element or tongue 18 of the buckle 17thus providing an interlocking connection or a safety lock for saidstrap 2.

Another use for the chain is to provide a close coupled andnonextendable restraining connection between the two individuals, thisis accomplished by removing the snap hook 23 [from the buckle eye 22 andhooking it onto the ring 8 on the adults strap 1. Thus an additionalsafety precaution is created by such interlocking connection of thesupplemental chain element as when crossing streets and also when deemeddesirable in other situations. In this close coupled arrangement the twostraps 1 and 2 are connected directly and in swivel relationby the shortchain 23 and the flexible leash element 3 is suspended in a festoon. Asa safety feature, the bands 51, 2 remain connected in the transitionperiod when the snap hook 23 is removed from the buckle 17 of the childsband and before it' received on the ring 8 of the adults band; thepossibility of the child dashing away from the adult while temporarilyunhooked is thus eliminated.

A still further use for the chain is to provide means for restrictingthe childs movements apart from the adult as when it is desired to leaveit unattended for short periods. This is accomplished by disconnectingthe strap '1 rfnom the adult, passing either it or the leash 3 around afixed anchorage such as a post, railing, shopping cart handle or anyother suitable convenient object and by attaching the snap book (23 tothe ring 8 on the strap 1. Thus a closed encirclement is formed around arestraining structure which will restrict the child and permit either alimited freedom of movement within the stretchable limits of the leashelement 3 if the latter is used to encircle the restraining structure oranchorage post or object or, if the guardian band 1 is used astheencirclement about the restraining structure or anchor- 5 age,substantially no freedom of movement.

Thus the combination of the relatively short tensile element or chain 33and the relatively long elastic leash.

element 3 has a number of advantages in use- When connected as shown inFIG. 1 the chain 33 provides a safety feature in that disconnection ofthe band 2 by the child or through inadvertence is avoided. When thechild is close coupled by the chain 33 directly to the carriage or otherarticle or anchorage, the leash element 3 hangs in a loop from the rings8' and 20 to which both the leash 3 and the chain 33 are coupled. Ineffecting a connection of the child directly to an anchorage as by thesnap hook 23 the child is at no time free to escape,

being continuously connected by the leash element 3 to the band I].about the wrist of the adult while the adult is releasing the hook 23from the buckle 17 and reconnect ing such hook to the anchorage.

FIG. 2 illustrates a modification of the invention where- I in, in lieuof the bentwire chain 33 shown in FIG. 1,

the close coupling and safety arrangements previously the end of theball chain 43' as by means of an end link 47 formed with an aperturethrough which the ring 44 is received. The other end of the ball chain43is attached to the ring 21 of the wrist band 2 by suitable means notshown.

FIG. 3 shows a modification wherein the end loop 15 of the flexibleleash or leader element 3 is connected directly to the split ring 8 ofthe guardian adults wrist band 1, this arrangement eliminating theswivel assembly comprising the rings 9, 10 of the FIG. 1 arrangement. Inthis modification the swivel assembly'comprising the rings 24, 25 at thechilds end of the flexible leash 3 is retained.

In another modification, not shown, the loop 26 on the childs end of theleash or leader element 3 is directly connected to the childs wrist bandring 21 similarly to the manner in which, in the previous modification,described in connection with FIG. 3, the adults end of the leash orleader 3 is connected directly to the wrist band ring 8 without theswivel assembly. When the childs end of the leash or leader is thusconnected directly to the childs wrist band without the swivel assembly,the other or adults end of the leash or leader may have the swivelassembly 9, 10 or, if desired such swivel assembly may be eliminated,providing a still further modification wherein swivel connections atboth ends of the leash or leader are eliminated.

FIG. 4 shows a further modification wherein the guardian adults wristband 1 is eliminated, the guardians end of the flexible leash or leader3 being provided with a.

large loop 40 adapted to be received over the wrist of the older personor guardian. The loop 40 is formed by reversely bending the end portionof the flexible elastic leader or leash 3 and securing the end as by acompression fitting 41 corresponding to the compression fittings 12 and27 shown in FIG. 1. The stretchable elastic nature of the sheathedfilaments of which the leash or leader element 3 is formed allows theWrist loop 40 to be stretched or enlarged in placing it over theguardian's wrist or in attaching it to any suitable object as ananchorage for restraining the child. The inherent resiliency of thefilament material comprising the loop 40 causes it to 5. contract aboutthe wrist of the guardian or about the anchorage to which it is applied.As a further refinement of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the elementcomprising the loop 40 is first passed through a relatively small metalring 42 about /2 inch in diameter or less, before the end of the leashelement is secured in the compression fitting 41 to secure the loop.Thus the metal ring 42 is held captive on the loop 40 and serves as aconvenient means for attaching the snap hook 23 to the loop 40 in closecoupling the child to the guardian adult or a siutable anchorage.

Thus the present invention provides a generally improved safety leash orleader combination by means of which an older person or adult is ablesafely and easily to control the movements of a small child. The devicecombines a relatively long leash element that resiliently resistselongation with a relatively short flexible and in extensible chain, orequivalent, the short chain normally being connected as a safety lockbetween the eye of the buckle on the childs wristband and the wrist bandring to which is attached also the adjacent or childs end of theflexible elastic lea-sh element. Such connection of the short chain tothe buckle of the childs wrist band is independent of the mainconnection of the adjacent childs end of the flexible leash element tothe childs Wrist band and is adapted for facile removal and replacement.By this arrangement the childs band can be closely coupled to either theadults band or to any suitable object, using the same snap hook 23 thatnormally connects the flexible leash element 3 to the childs band 2.

The embodiments described are by way of illustration, it being apparentthat various changes in structural details, particularly with respect tothe construction of the bands and the connections of the extensibleleash element, may be resorted to without departing from thefundamentals of the invention. It is intended that the patent shallcover, by summarization in the appended claims, all features ofpatentalble novelty residing in the invention.

What'I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

1. A safety device for use by a guardian in maintaining control over achild, said device comprising a first band adapted to be received aboutan adult, a second hand adapted to be placed about a child, a buckle onthe second band for adjusting its eflective size and securing it inplace, said buckle including a locking element formed with an eye, aflexible leash element connected between the bands, the leash elementbeing secured to and against facile disconnection from the second handat a fixed point spaced from the buckle, a supplemental connectingelement relatively short in length compared to the length of the leashelement connected at one end to the second band at said point and havingat its other end an attaching fitting adapted to be readily connected toand disconnected from the eye of the locking element, and means carriedby the first band and adapted to receive the attaching fitting in aninterlocking connection upon disconnection of the fitting from saidlocking element, the presence of the fitting connected to the eyepreventing independent unbuckling and removal of the second band fromabout a child, and said supplemental element constituting a closecouplingconnection between the bands upon establishment of saidinterlocking connection.

2. A child controlling safety device substantially as defined in claim 1in which the leash element is resilient and stretchable and exerts acontracting force of from about two pounds to about four pounds whenstretched to twice its unstressed length.

' 3. A child controlling safety device substantially as defined in claim1 in which the supplemental connecting element is a chain.

4. A child controlling safety device substantially as defined in claim 1in which the first band includes a buckle for length adjustment and theleash element is 6 connected to the first band at; a fixed point spacedfrom the buckle of the first band.

5. A child controlling safety device substantially as defined in claim 1in which a ring is fast to the second hand at said fixed point and boththe leash element and the supplemental connecting element are attacheddirectly to such ring.

6. A child controlling safety device substantially as defined in claim 5in which said means for receiving the attaching fitting comprises a ringfast to the first band at the fixed point thereof and the connection ofthe leash element to the first band includes the last mentioned ring.

7. A child controlling safety device substantially as defined in claim 6in which the first band includes a buckle for length adjustment and thepoint at which the last mentioned ring is fast to the first band isspaced from the buckle.

8. A child controlling safety device substantially as defined in claim 5in which the leash element includes a swivel assembly and such swivelassembly is attached directly to the ring.

9. A child controlling safety device substantially as defined in claim 6in which the leash element includes swivel assemblies at its ends andsuch assemblies are directly connected to the rings fast to therespective bands.

10. A child controlling safety device substantially as defined in claim1 in which the leash element includes a swivel assembly at said one endand a ring is fast to the second band at said fixed point, the swivelassembly being directly attached to the ring.

11. A safety device for use by an adult in maintaining control over achild, said device comprising a first flexible band adapted to bereceived about an adults Wrist, a second flexible band adapted to beplaced about a childs Wrist, a buckle on the second band for adjustingits effective size and securing the band in place, said buckle includinga locking element formed with an eye, a flexible and elastic leashelement having one of its ends connected to the first band and its otherend connected to the second band, a chain, a snap hook connected to oneend of the chain and having a spring lock, said hook being receivablethrough the eye of the buckle to connect said one end of the chain tothe second band, the presence of the hook in said eye preventingindependent unbuckling and removal of the second band from about achilds Wrist, the other end of the chain being secured directly to andagainst facile disconnection from the second band at a point spaced fromthe buckle, the leash element being stretchable in normal use by about athree pound pull force to a suitable working length about twice itsnormal unstressed length and, upon being relieved of tensile strain,having the characteristic of returning by inherent resiliency to saidunstressed length.

12. A safety device as defined in claim 11 in which the leash elementcomprises a rubber tube having a fabric sheath, the ends of the tube andof the sheath being reversely bent, compression fittings securing thetube and sheath ends to portions of the tube and of the sheath at pointsspaced inwardly from the tube ends in the provision of end loops, andthe connections of the leash element to the bands including said endloops.

13. A safety device for use by an adult in maintaining control over achild, said device comprising a first band adapted to be received aboutan adults wrist, a second flexible band adapted to be placed about achilds wrist, a buckle on the second band for adjusting its effectivesize and securing the band in place, said buckle including a lockingelement formed with an eye, a first ring fast to the first band, asecond ring fast to the second band at a point spaced from the buckle, aflexible and elastic leash element having one of its ends fast to thefirst ring and the other of its ends fast to the second ring toestablish a resilient connection of the hands, a relatively short chain,a snap hook connected to one end of the chain and having a spring lock,the other end of the chain s 7 being fast to and secure against easydisconnection from the second ring, said hook being receivable throughthe eye of the buckle to connect said one end of the chain to the secondband, the presence of the hook in said eye preventing independentunbuckling and removal of the second band from about a childs Wrist, theleash element being stretchable in normal use to a suitable workinglength and, upon being relieved of tensile strain, having thecharacteristics of returning by inherent resiliency to said unstressedlength, said hook being readily removable from the locking element eyeand connectable to the first ring to connect the chain to the first bandthereby attaching both bands closely together independently of theflexible leash element.

14. A safety device for use by an adult in maintaining control over achild, said device comprising a first band adapted to be received aboutan adults wrist, a second flexible band adapted to be placed about achilds wrist, a buckle on the second band for adjusting its eifectivesize and securing the band in place, said buckle including a lockingelement formed with an eye, a ring fast to the first band, a flexibleand elastic leash element, a chain,

a snap hook connected to one end of the chain and hava childs wrist,and, upon disconnection from the locking element eye, the hook beingconnectable to the ring in establishment by the chain of a relativelyclose coupled connection between the bands with the leash elementfestooned between the bands, the leash element being stretchable innormal use to a suitable working length and, upon being relieved oftensile strain, having the characteristic of returning by inherentresiliency to said unstressed length, and swivel means in one of theleash element connections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,994,300 Grahling Aug. 1, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 768,436 France Aug. 6,1934

1. A SAFETY DEVICE FOR USE BY A GUARDIAN IN MAINTAINING CONTROL OVER ACHILD, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A FIRST BAND ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED ABOUTAN ADULT, A SECOND BAND ADAPTED TO BE PLACED ABOUT A CHILD, A BUCKLE ONTHE SECOND BAND FOR ADJUSTING ITS EFFECTIVE SIZE AND SECURING IT INPLACE, SAID BUCKLE INCLUDING A LOCKING ELEMENT FORMED WITH AN EYE, AFLEXIBLE LEASH ELEMENT CONNECTED BETWEEN THE BANDS, THE LEASH ELEMENTBEING SECURED TO AND AGAINST FACILE DISCONNECTION FROM THE SECOND BANDAT A FIXED POINT SPACED FROM THE BUCKLE, A SUPPLEMENTAL CONNECTINGELEMENT RELATIVELY SHORT IN LENGTH COMPARED TO THE LENGTH OF THE LEASHELEMENT CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE SECOND BAND AT SAID POINT AND HAVINGAT ITS OTHER END AN ATTACHING FITTING ADAPTED TO BE READILY CONNECTED TOAND DISCONNECTED FROM THE EYE OF THE LOCKING ELEMENT, AND MEANS CARRIEDBY THE FIRST BAND AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE ATTACHING FITTING IN ANINTERLOCKING CONNECTION UPON DISCONNECTION OF THE FITTING FROM SAIDLOCKING ELEMENT, THE PRESENCE OF THE FITTING CONNECTED TO THE EYEPREVENTING INDEPENDENT UNBUCKLING AND REMOVAL OF THE SECOND BAND FROMABOUT A CHILD, AND SAID SUPPLEMENTAL ELEMENT CONSTITUTING A CLOSECOUPLING CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BANDS UPON ESTABLISHMENT OF SAIDINTERLOCKING CONNECTION.